A Restyled Liquor Cart

I've been really wanting to get a liquor cart for my home this past year. It's just so grown up. 🙂 Plus I love the idea of having a little set up ready to go for a party or when friends drop by. I love the look of vintage liquor carts and have seen quite a few cute ones; but I kind of wanted to try and create one that would fit perfectly with the aesthetic I'm planning for my living room. So I decided to restyle a cute red cart I had been gifted for Christmas last year.My sweet friend Missy had given me this little red cart last Christmas. It was really special because I had a red cart that was very similar that I used for the sweet shoppe but it had recently retired. Even though the red color had a special meaning to me I knew I could use the cart more in my home if I restyled it.

Side note: Even though Project Restyle was a resolution that Elsie and Rachel started in 2011 I still am in love with the concept and I really enjoy restyling items. If your not familiar with Project Restyle you can read more about it here. The basic idea is that you take an item (clothing, furniture, etc.) that you aren't using/found/don't want/thrifted and restyle into something awesome. It's budget friendly, it's green and it's a whole lot of fun.To restyle my liquor cart I simply deconstructed it. Wiped down all the surfaces. And spray painted the red surfaces black and the silver surfaces gold. Then I put it back together and added accessories; I had thrifted a silver tray and a silver ice bucket. These I also spray painted gold (I left the inside of the ice bucket though, since it will hold ice that will then be served in beverages). I also found a super cute cocktail tool set at a flea market that matched my new cart—major score!Now all I need to do is actually get cracking on my living room decor dreams. I'm so excited to put my restyled liquor cart in it's new space!How about you? Have you restyled anything special to you lately? xo. Emma

While this is a great concept and all, it’s really a shame you used that red cart. It seems like a really old piece, possibly late 40’s and in lovely shape. A lot of ladies and young girls look up to you and your blog, and especially running a vintage store I think it’s really important to instill a respect for vintage and antiques. While I am completely aware and have witnessed people refinish/paint vintage furniture beautifully and it helps preserving it, the people who do it right somehow keep to the dignity of the piece. I think things are starting to get out of control with inappropriately mutilating antiques/vintage, like glitter gluing an early 1900’s camera, taking apart an early 1800’s pocket watch to sew the gears on a steam punk dress, ect.

So I’m wondering if you guys would ever cover a subject like that, what is important to leave alone (even though you saw it on pintrest and thought it was soo cool!) and what is okay to paint, how to go about it, and so forth. I think that would be wonderful because, like I stated above, you ladies have so much influence over these women or young ladies who visit your blog as their first exposure to incorporating vintage into modern living.

While I didn’t mean to write this comment to offend or talk down anyone, this is increasingly becoming an issue and thought that maybe it would inspire you guys to talk about it, and provoke some thought.

this is so ridiculous – my husband and i are currently in the process of sanding and repainting literally the exact same cart. we had been looking for a while, and when our friend who is an antique dealer found this one for us, we fell in love. i have been taking photos and working on a blog post about our restyle; we’re painting it a pale mint green and shining up the chrome. too funny. here’s a link to some photos:

That is beautiful!! Knowing me, I would have kept it the red, just because I don’t think it’s possible to have enough color in the house. 🙂 I am in the process of using the old front door from our first home and turning it into our new headboard.

It has great potential, and I just hope it works out like it does in my head! But let’s be honest… some of the fun is the unexpected, no?

Janet- Thanks for your comment. I think that is a really interesting subject and obviously one you feel passionate about, so thanks for sharing your perspective. 🙂 I think the line between preserving and mutilating (as you put it) is sometimes a difficult judgement call to make. Which makes it a really interesting discussion topic. I don’t know if I feel like I could have an authoritative perspective (I doubt I really know best) but I do really like the idea of hearing what others think and feel on the subject.

This is awesome! If only my apartment was big enough for carts (and tables and furniture…)! Recently I restyled a dresser that I had in college that I now use in the bathroom for extra storage. It felt SO GOOD when I was done. I can see why you do so many DIYs 🙂

Ever since we started watching Mad Men obsessively on Netflix, Athan and I have been wanting our own little mini bar. I was looking for a vintage wooden one, but they’re hard to find. I love this idea though! Definitely has that vintage look.

I absolutely love this idea! I’ve been looking for a little bar or cart for my dining room for the past month, as well 🙂 Being in dental school, funds are a little tight… so almost everything in my apartment has been restored or upcycled! My most recent project was refreshing an old wicker furniture set with spray paint (Krylon Global Blue) to compliment the vintage flowered fabric cushions.

gorgeous!!!
but i also like the “before”!!!
they two are perfekt! can´t decide which one i prefer!
last time i reStyled some shoes…and oh…by the way…some dresses in the last weeks. i love reStyling! it makes each little thing into something special…like your liquor cart!!!;D
thanks for sharing!
have a great wednesday!

I’m getting ready to restyle an old entertainment center that I grew up with. It’s an antique wood cupboard with 3 shelves. And I’m getting ready to sand it down and paint it teal and the inside of the cupboards & shelves will be coral 🙂

So cute, I love it! I just restyled a metal table I have out on my patio. It’s so fun to bring new life to an object using spray paint. So easy and affordable. -Heidihttp://fabricandfrosting.blogspot.no/

This totally looks like something you’d find in Don Draper’s office from Mad Men. I love it! The simple lines are interesting, but don’t pull too much attention to the focal point: the liquor! Great work. It astounds me how inspired you two ladies are and how you seem to have free-flow creativity at all times.

Chairs! Love re-styling chairs. In Brisbane we have “curb days”, where people put their large unwanted items out on the curb for the garbage collection. It has turned into vintage lovers paradise, driving along and spotting items.
Taking things home re-styling them and giving them a second life.

I loved the red, BUT I really respect your courage to change the piece, because now it is more functional, and really~ what is the point in owning cool pieces if we can’t utilize them? Good on you, and thanks for the inspiration to just GO THERE with vintage pieces. I tore apart a glorious trunk last year to refurbish it, and now it is SO much more functional!

LOVE how it turned out. I feel about restyling vintage things similar to how I feel about updating a 1950s home (forgive the comparison but we’re house hunting and a lot of the homes we’re looking at were built in the 1950s!): if it’s a well done restyle, I think it’s great. We’ve looked at many homes where the original fixtures or features were just crappily painted over or poorly taken care of. There were other homes where the original goodies were repainted or restyled but with a lot of love and care (sanding, priming, repainting, etc)- I believe that something vintage can (and should!) still be enjoyed with an update as long as the update has been done properly.

Saddest sight ever: a brass doorknob on a vintage door, both which have been poorly painted. Even worse: a doorjamb that was painted carelessly and the vintage door that’s left behind with paint spots on it 🙁

How cool to see what you’ve done with your cart! I have one just like it in my kitchen – I use it as a microwave cart. It was a wedding gift to my parents in 1949. I think it goes well with my Jello molds and vintage kitchen items and cookbooks hanging on my walls. Just today I was thinking I like the glossy red color of the cart and will probably make red curtains to go with it. Your blog is so much fun to read – thanks so much!

this is a great idea! do you have any ideas on what to do with shirts, and tank tops you don’t like anymore? also my grandma sent my lace material, but only a little bit, do you have any ideas? thanks!